How cool would a talking postcard be? Well, I know of talking greeting cards (not the virtual kind) which start playing a tune as you unfold them. It pinches the pocket, but the affection effect is enormous.

I don’t think talking postcards have caught on yet. It’s definitely not because of the technology but probably because sending a video message is downright easier and cheaper now.

But just as video has its own place, so does a photo. And isn’t there something timeless about a memorable photo – something which moving images cannot evoke. Now, what if we add our own babble to our photos…

The usual method for adding sound to pictures would be create a photo story or a slideshow using many applications that are available for it. You can dust off your photo album and use these software to add effects, record your own voice or add music tracks”¦quite easily create a family “˜motion picture’.

The other method of adding sound to pictures would be to use web services which allow us to annotate photos with our voice. The system is quite simple – upload your photos and use the services’ web recorder to add your story to them.

Web services like Yodio and Voxpix, which we have covered earlier, cater to this niche. These services also allow you to call in and add your voice narration to the photos.

For those who like their choices in threes, Fotobabble could be the third option.

Fotobabble is a completely free web service which lets us create talking photos in a matter of clicks. Letting your photos speak their own story starts with a simple signup.

The First Click – Creating a Fotobabble

Creating a Fotobabble is just about entering a title and browsing for the photo on your hard drive. We have to make do with uploads for now as importing them from photo-sharing sites like Flickr or Picasa is still an anticipated feature for this year.

The considered choice is between keeping the photos private or making them viewable to other Fotobabble visitors.

The Second Click – Editing a Fotobabble

This is the interface where we do the babbling to complete your Fotobabble.

We can press the Record button on the Flash Player to narrate in our own words what the photo is all about. Fotobabble asks for permission of access to our computer’s microphone. A press on stop completes the recording.

The length of the recording that’s allowed is not explicitly mentioned but it’s till the red progress bar moves to the end. That’s about a minute from start to finish.

If you aren’t too happy with the first voiceover, don’t click on Save. Just click on Record again and do it over the first. Play it back to hear it out.

After finishing our commentary, all that’s left is to add a few tags that describe what the photo is all about. All created Fotobabble’s can be found in our individual accounts where we can choose to delete them.

The Third Click – Sharing the Fotobabble

We can share our Fotobabble with our friends and family via a host of social sharing sites and email. For instance, for Twitter, the link gets tweeted out and for Facebook, the Fotobabble plays on the Wall. If it’s message boards or instant messengers, then the provided link comes in use. The embeddable code can be used on blogs or webpages.

Fotobabble also connects you to Mozilla Add-ons if you want to install the AddThis addon for all-in-one social sharing.

Fotobabble is still a newborn service. A host of services are expected to be launched this year, like creating slideshows and mobile apps (only the iPhone app is available now). Though even now, it’s a really quick way to broadcast a photo with a personal voice touch.

Do you think Fotobabble is a great idea to send out vocalized photos? Or think of it as a great replacement for travel postcards. How would you like to use it?

Saikat is a techno-adventurer in a writer's garb. When he is not scouring the net for tech news, you can catch him looking for life hacks and learning tidbits. You can find him on LinkedIn & Twitter watching over the world.